


The Times We've Spent Together

by Rrikey



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Mutual Pining, Romance, they’re remembering the journey leading up to their relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:16:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24222670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rrikey/pseuds/Rrikey
Summary: Blake and Yang are getting married and couldn’t be anymore in love. As their wedding approaches, the couple reflect on old memories they share together. These memories remind them of the wonderful and dark times they've had throughout their lives.AU: Yang moved to Kuo Kuana at a young age and met Blake in school. A connection formed between the two from the very start. Their journey through the years showcases the strength both women possess. Together they grow as individuals, friends, and eventually as lovers.(Or, I wanted to write pining, young bees with a healthy side of established bees reminiscing in the future.)
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 8
Kudos: 45





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Here is an idea I've been working on for a while! I really just wanted to write soft bees (and Kali Belladonna being best mom). Hope you guys enjoy!

Present Day

“Yang!” Blake squealed as her girlfriend pulled her into her arms without warning. Yang laughed at the high pitched noise the other woman let out, then started to spin them in circles. Eventually, she came to a stop, breathing heavily from the exertion.

“Come on, Blake! Aren’t you excited? I’m so excited! I think I’m going to pass out!” Yang’s enthusiasm was nearly too much for Blake to handle. Her cheerfulness threatened to destroy Blake’s serious, sophisticated demeanor. She couldn’t break her resolve from her girlfriend’s adorableness. Well, she couldn’t break just yet, that is.

She huffed in fake annoyance and looked at the blonde holding her captive. Running her hand across the other woman’s jaw, Blake spoke in a much calmer tone, “I am very excited that you finally managed to get those plane tickets we’ve been wanting, but I’m not about to spontaneously combust on the spot like you are.” Yang pouted at that and stuck out her tongue in a child-like manner.

“I’m not going to spontaneously combust! That would be gross. You’d have to vacuum me up off the ground, but the stain would never leave the carpet.” Blake snorted and was reminded, once again, that her and her girlfriend’s sense of humor may be a little too morbid.

Yang continued her sentence, slightly more serious. “I’m just so happy that we’re finally going to go on vacation together!” Blake tucked a curly strand of hair behind Yang’s ear, an affectionate action she knew her girlfriend loved.

“Yeah-” Blake started dreamily- “I’m happy too. I don’t remember the last time we left Kuo Kauna together.” Yang hummed in agreement, content to stand there in the pleasant silence with Blake wrapped in her arms.

After a while, Yang spoke up, “It’s going to be fun going back to Patch. We don’t have to worry about the cold, since it’s summertime right now! Also, one of dad’s friends said that we can use his vacation home for the weekend. It’s right on the beach. That means we can swim in the ocean, lay out in the sun, look for seashells… I can show you all the places I used to go to when I was a little kid.” She rested her head onto one of Blake’s shoulders.

Blake’s eyes drifted elsewhere as her girlfriend daydreamed. There was... a lot to think about. She smiled to herself. A week away with Yang, and they’d be alone together on the beach? She couldn’t think of anything better than that. Well… there was something that would make it all even sweeter.

Her eyes had drifted down to one of the pockets of the thick jacket she was wearing. The velvet box’s outline could be felt by the tips of her fingers. Tonight. They were going out to dinner at their favorite restaurant in all of Kuo Kauna. The establishment had delicious seafood, and a beautiful view of the ocean. However, Blake’s mind was not focused strictly on the restaurant's food and scenery. No, the small speech she had crafted after months of intense consideration kept replaying in her mind. She was going to ask Yang to marry her in just a couple of hours.

While she was nervous, there was not a doubt in her mind saying that Yang wouldn’t accept her proposal. They’d previously discussed marriage, and Yang knew Blake would be the one to ask the big question. Because of tonight, it meant that they'll be traveling to Patch together not as each other’s girlfriends, but as fiancés.

Blake pondered for a moment, then wondered aloud, “you haven’t been back to Patch since you moved to Menagerie, right?”

“Yep. It’s been about nine years since I’ve been back home. I wonder if it’s changed a lot since I’ve been gone. Like, what if all the things I want to show you are different now?” Her face twisted, worry starting to creep into her expression. Blake wanted to put a stop to that immediately, so she leaned in to give a gentle kiss.

“Hey, I’m sure it’s a little bit different now, and some of the places you used to visit may have changed, but it won’t matter. You grew up there, and I’ll enjoy every second I spend with you, I promise-” she paused for a moment, reminiscing on old memories- “remember when you first moved here and how excited everyone was when they heard about your _grand_ _arrival_?”

Yang laughed at that, “they were only interested because I was from the other side of the planet! Also, I was taller than that giraffe faunus in our math class.” They both chuckled, remembering how curious the students of Kuo Kauana were of Yang. “And, I guess it had something to do with the fact that I just moved into a town with only ten or so other humans.”

“Yeah… that was definitely the biggest reason. It was always such a big deal to us anytime a human family moved here.” Blake’s hands ran absentmindedly across her back.

The box in her coat started to feel heavy. Dinner couldn’t approach fast enough. She forced herself to remember that particular day that had started it all as a way to contain her excitement for what tonight would entail. Blake grinned, thinking back to the day she and Yang first met one another. It was such an innocent time in her life. One she now holds close to her heart.

\----------------

13 Years Old

To the entire class, Blake Belladonna always appeared to be in a different dimension, far away from the real world. She wasn’t necessarily shy, she just preferred to read by herself than talk to the other kids. Which was the reason why she never went anywhere without a large novel or a small journal that she occasionally wrote in. Her piercing gold eyes seldom rose to look up at the students of Kuo Kauana’s middle school, even as the students yelled and argued with loud voices. She kept to herself, and she did not like being the center of attention in large groups. However, today she struggled to ignore the gossiping students all around her. Today, Blake’s school was going to receive a new student. A human student.

While it is true that faunus are the leading majority of Kuo Kauna, there were a few notable humans that inhibited the town. The Cotta-Arc family had been a lovely addition to the small village a few years back, and they had been welcomed immediately by nearly every citizen. When the two women first arrived, Kali Belladonna made it her mission to give them the warmest welcome by bringing them a freshly baked pie. However, Blake didn’t realize that this would continue as a weekly tradition. Every Sunday, Blake found herself sitting next to Terra and Saphron Cotta-Arc as her mother pinched their baby boy’s cheeks. She liked the family’s presence, and they proved that not all humans were malicious toward the faunus.

Within her school, a handful of human children were scattered around. For the most part, they kept to themselves. They were the minority, afterall. But, sometimes bad seeds managed to sneak in and cause havoc. One boy by the name of Cardin Winchester made it his mission to disturb Blake whenever they were in elementary school. He’d push her down, steal some of her books, the typical mean boy bullying routine. However, Adam put a stop to it.

Adam told her before not to trust humans, and Cardin was only one example.

_“But what about Saphron and Terra?” She had asked him years before as they walked home from school._

_He stopped beside the younger girl and chided, “they may seem nice, Blake, but they will never understand faunus. They just pretend they do. That’s what all humans do. Pretend. Only we can really understand each other.”_

The bull faunus had lived with the Belladonnas for years, ever since Blake was in kindergarten. His parents had passed away early in his life, but Ghira and Kali Belladonna welcomed him into their home as one of their own. That’s why Blake didn’t need anymore friends. She had Adam. Why did she need anyone else? He would protect her from the mean kids, and the humans who didn’t understand her.

An excited voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Sun, a boy who constantly tried to befriend Blake, ran into the classroom and grabbed the entire class’s attention. Apparently, he had been eavesdropping on the staff’s conversation regarding the new student. All the children were practically vibrating, desperately begging the monkey faunus to tell them the details. Blake couldn’t help but scoff by their eagerness.

Sporting a smug grin, Sun started to explain, “when they were all talking, Mr. Lionheart said that the new human student is… a girl.” The boys within the group made various immature noises, voicing their apparent approval.

Ilia, a girl who Blake walked home from school with from time to time, spoke harshly to the boy, “who cares about that, Sun? What else did you hear them say?”

“Well, she’s from somewhere really far away. Like thousands of miles away. Like so far that-”

“Sun.”

“Oh, sorry. She’s from Patch-” Murmuring started, but he cut them off- “and her father’s going to be the new history teacher in the high school.”

That officially set everyone off.

“A teacher?!”

“A human teacher in Kuo Kauna?”

“Has that ever happened before?”

Blake sat back in her seat as the children swarmed Sun, demanding more information than he owned.

A human girl? All the way from Patch? Blake felt her interest growing the more she thought about it. Maybe she’ll be nice, like Saphron and Terra?

First hour drug by very slowly, each student hardly listening to the poor teacher trying to teach them about grammatical rules. Even Blake blocked out the teacher’s voice. Second hour couldn’t get here fast enough.

\-------------

Whenever the bell rang, signaling the end to the first hour, the entire class shot out of the room and into the hallway. Those lucky enough to have Marrow Amin’s math class second hour arrived an astounding five minutes early. The newly hired math teacher laughed at that.

“Maybe we need a new student to come in all of the time,” he joked to his students.

The ring of the tardy bell silenced the entire room. A minute after, Mr. Lionheart poked his head through the doorway.

“Now students-”the principal began to lecture- “we have a new student today. I expect all of you to treat her with kindness and respect. If you do not, you’ll find yourself sitting in my office after school. Am I clear?” A mass of heads nodded in agreement, while each middle schooler contorted their body in an effort to see the figure behind the lion faunus.

Blake watched the girl walk confidently in front of the classroom. She had been… much prettier than Blake had imagined. Her eyes were glued to the way the golden curls lit up in the sunlight. Mr. Amin greeted the new girl, then asked her a small series of questions to answer for the class.

She gave a bright smile and spoke, “my name is Yang Xiao Long. I’m from the island of Patch, and I have a little sister named Ruby. She’s in the fourth grade over at the elementary school.”

Marrow nodded his head and politely responded, “it’s nice to have you here, Yang. We look forward to getting to know you. Now, did you bring your textbook we mailed to you?”

“Sorry, Mr. Amin. I don’t have it with me today. I left my book at home on top of my… bookshelf.” She ended the sentence with an odd tone, and her smile had grown even larger than before.

“Well, that’s alright for today since this is your first time here. However, make sure it doesn’t happen again. We use these books everyday,” he chided.

  
Yang grinned at him and replied, “yes, I take full responsibility for my actions. I only have my SHELF to blame…”

The room silenced completely, until the entire class erupted into laughter. It was an awful joke, everyone agreed to that, but its unexpectedness left all the children unable to contain their amusement. Even Blake found herself giggling, trying to cover up her smile with her hand. She glanced at Yang, who seemed to be looking at Blake already. The human girl averted her gaze as soon as their eyes met, but Blake continued to look at her. Did they both just catch one another staring?

“Great. A class clown,” Marrow muttered, already sounding exhausted. “There’s a seat open next to Velvet over there, Yang.” He pointed to the rabbit faunus who waved at her, clearly excited. Yang nodded, then walked over to her seat and plopped down. She leaned over to Velvet and whispered something, causing the girl to start laughing.

Marrow began to teach, but Blake found herself distracted. She watched the golden curls atop of Yang’s hair ignite each time the sunlight was shown onto the human. Velvet, for her part, couldn’t contain her giggles as Yang whispered a joke into her ears every second or so. Although it was early, Blake decided she rather liked the new student. She wasn’t cruel like Cardin at all, but she even seemed different than any of the other individuals Blake had met. Adam’s sense of humor barely existed, and her peers who constantly tried to make others laugh tried too hard. Yang just seemed funny on her own, and she looked nice.

 _And_ _pretty_. Blake thought but disregarded the comment as soon as it formed.

She thought about going up to her and introducing herself, but ultimately decided against it. She wanted to wait and watch for Yang’s true colors to come out. Her interest may have merely been the product of fascination, and Adam’s words about trusting humans quietly repeated itself inside her head. So, as the hour came to an end, Blake stepped aside and let the crowd of other children surround Yang to ask her a multitude of questions. To Yang’s credit, she answered the rapid fire questions efficiently and appeared to enjoy the attentive company.

“How tall are you?” One small girl with antlers asked.

“I’m about five foot eight.” The crowd gasped at that.

“You’re taller than Clyde?!” Sun yelled in astonishment.

Yang glanced around then asked, “who’s Clyde?”

A scrawny boy with brown spots covering the skin of his neck raised his hand and stepped forward. “Me! I’m a giraffe faunus, too!”

Yang groaned and shoved her face into her hands. “You guys know that doesn’t make me feel very good. It’s like I’m some kind of giant or something.”

They laughed, and Sun told Yang, meaning it in the nicest way possible, that it wasn’t a bad thing since giants were “awesome”.

“What about snow? Have you seen snow?” Velvet asked this time.

“Yep, it snows every year in Patch. I jumped off my roof one time into a big pile and didn’t even break a single bone!”

“Woah! That’s cool, even though that sounds pretty scary. And dangerous. And scary.”

“Okay, Velvet. Calm down.” Ilia placed a hand on Velvet’s shoulder to comfort her.

Yang stretched and stood up from her seat. “Do any of you know where the library is around here? I need to pick up some books for my classes.” Instantly, the group erupted into arguing.

“I can show you where the library is!”

“Don’t go with him, he’ll bite your face off with his shark teeth.”

“I don’t know where the library is, but we can look for it together!”

Blake watched all of this happen with a small smile. She noticed Yang’s face shifted, and she appeared fearful. Her cheeks had turned light pink, and she looked around desperately for a way out of the situation that wouldn’t hurt anyone’s feelings. As Blake watched, she caught a glimpse of mischievous grey eyes peering at her. Before she could react, Sun marched up right beside her, threw an arm around her shoulder, and grabbed the entire room’s attention.

“Have Blake take you! She reads ALL of the time, so she can show you anything you want to know.” Blake glared at him, but he didn’t appear to be sorry whatsoever.

“Really? That sounds great! Well… only if you don’t mind,” Yang ended rather sheepishly. Her change in behavior was odd to Blake because Yang hadn’t seemed nervous around anyone else from today. Her eyes focused on the human’s, and Blake realized then that she hadn’t ever seen anyone with purple eyes before. They were her favorite shade, too. The word pretty popped up in Blake’s mind once again.

Blinking, she found her voice and answered, “I don’t mind showing you where it is.”

“Awesome!” Yang celebrated and bounded toward the exit. Blake followed behind much calmer. Yang felt the need to formerly introduce herself to Blake, which caused the other girl to roll her eyes. Yang’s handshake was firm, but her hand was soft in Blake’s grip.

“Belladonna’s such a cool last name. So mysterious.” She wiggled her eyebrows at her companion who gave her another good natured eye roll. Soon, the pair reached the door to the library, but Yang halted and placed her hand onto Blake’s shoulder.

“This is an extremely important task, and I need someone to keep me focused. Someone with laser sharp focus. Someone who can get the job done. It’s all up to you, soldier”

“You’re making it sound like we’re on some kind of military operation. What, are we going to overthrow Menagerie’s government?” Her tone was dry, but the smile adorning her face displayed her amusement from Yang’s ridiculous behavior.

Yang lowered her head toward the ground and stayed silent for some time. Blake’s ears twitch in confusion.  
In an even tone, Yang spoke, “if we fail, then… I’ll blow up in the middle of the library, and the janitor will have to mop me up into a bucket!” Her smile returned full force seeing Blake’s hand shot up to cover up her quiet laughter.

“That’s disgusting,” Blake responded. “But, I guess we can’t have that happen. Come on, let’s go get those books, soldier.”

The two eighth grade girls entered the library and began their search for Yang’s textbooks. The sun outside continued to shine through the windows, illuminating anything that walked under its powerful rays.

\------------

Present Day

To no one’s surprise, Yang agreed to marry Blake. She said yes before Blake even managed to finish her speech. Arriving home, the couple spent the remainder of their night within their bedroom, relinquishing in the fact that their relationship just grew even stronger.

Strength is what the two women found in each other. From day one, both girls knew that they were going to be spending many of their days together; whether it was platonic, or something far more.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Chapter 2 is here. Blake and Yang get closer, while Kali is the best mom.

Blake laid on her couch with Yang’s head rested on her lap, and started to play with blonde curls. She can’t help but smile at Yang’s attire. A bright, yellow dress that she said she didn’t want to take off because she was too “exhausted” from their eventful afternoon. Yang wore it earlier in the day during their visit with Blake’s parents, and it caused old memories to begin to resurface.

Blake and Yang talk about this certain day often. The day Kali Belladonna caught Tai Yang at the supermarket and invited him and his family for dinner. Blake remembered how excited her mother seemed when telling Blake that Yang would be joining them. She was ecstatic, and Blake eventually figured out why that was. She was desperate for Blake to find a friend. Not just Ilia, who she only really talked to as she walked to school. And not Adam. Kali believed that Blake could be friends with this new girl. That she could shine some light onto Blake’s life. Blake laughs to herself. Maybe she’d thank her mom one day for constantly pestering Yang and her to further their relationship.

A soft, sleepy hum rings out from underneath Blake’s hands. Her ministrations stop momentarily, and she leans in to whisper in Yang’s ear.

“You should go to bed,” she ended the sentence with a soft kiss to Yang’s freckled cheek. Their beach vacation to Patch had given Yang a new crop of freckles that were too cute not to kiss.

“Mmm. Okay.” The woman rose with a big yawn and started to stand. Blake couldn’t help but smile at her fiancé, she was always like a big teddy bear whenever she was tired.

She placed her arm on the small of Yang’s back as they walked to their bedroom and had to lean forward to hear the other woman’s slurred words, “I wore a dress just like this one when I went to your house the first time, remember?”

Blake’s slightly caught off guard by hearing Yang bring up the memories she had just been reliving. “I was just thinking the same thing earlier.” Yang flops onto their mattress and spreads out across the sheets. “I thought you were so beautiful, even back then. Just...in a different way than now.”

Yangs laughed at that. “Well, we were babies back then. Babies in a heteronormative world.”

“I don’t think either of us were ever heteronormative, Yang. Also, almost all of our friends are gay,” Blake mocks as she helps her girlfriend take off her shoes. Yang laughed off Blake’s accusations and stared at the ceiling, content to let Blake do all of the work of getting the sandals off her feet.

“Your mom has amazing gaydar. I think she was trying to set us up from day one.”

Blake groans and pokes Yang’s side. “Can you stop reading my mind for two seconds? I literally thought the same thing five minutes ago!” Yang laughs and tries to squirm away from Blake’s assaults.

That day, Kali Belladonna hadn’t planned to set up her daughter with the girl who would eventually become the love of Blake’s life. No, the older faunus had woken up early in the day, pacing her home with a deep, worried expression upon her face. She hadn’t been able to sleep because of the dark thoughts running through her mind. Her footsteps woke Blake and her father up from their slumber. Ghira approached his wife to see what could possibly be troubling her. Blake hid in the shadows and listened to their whispered discussion. She now berates herself for not considering her mother’s worries that strange morning.

She should have listened to her mom. Kali Belladonna’s intuition was/is impeccable.

\----------------

13 Years old

“I just want her to have more friends than she has now.”

“Kali, you know she likes to keep to herself, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“I know that, Ghira-” her mother sighed. She sounded so tired- “I just wish she would spend time with someone other than… him.”

“He and Blake have always been close-”

“And he’s been great for her, but he can also be very… controlling of Blake.”

“Controlling?”

“Yes. He always wants her to do the things he wants to do, even if he makes it seem like Blake was originally the one to suggest it. He- he also doesn’t have a single friend besides her, and he’s two years older than she is. He’s in high school for God's sake and has never even mentioned anyone from school!”

“I think the boy is just reluctant to trust others. He cares for Blake, we know that. Maybe… he just needs a little more time to branch out? He liked his pet I picked up for him for his birthday! And, I’ll keep taking him fishing with me on the weekends. He’ll eventually start to do these kinds of things on his own,” Ghira told Kali, but he seemed to miss her point as she ran her hands down her face in frustration.

“Don’t you think he’s strange though? It’s like- like when I look at him I only see someone pretending. Pretending to care for us. Pretending like-like he wants what’s best for Blake. It’s as if everything he does is a facade, trying to find a way to blend in with everyone around him when he just can’t.”

Her father stood there, puzzled by his wife’s statements. “You don’t really think that, do you? Adam… you know he’s been through so much. We’ve practically raised him as our son. I think we need to keep doing what we’re doing, and give him some more time to figure out who he is.”

“What about our daughter, Ghira!? I don’t want him to stop her from living her life.” Her voice had cracked at the end, and Blake’s stomach suddenly felt queasy.

The large man wrapped his wife into his arms and spoke gently, “Blake is too strong to let anyone else decide how she is going to live. And maybe- maybe you’re right. Maybe this new girl can start spending some time with Blake.”

“She seems to actually like her. They haven’t talked much, but Blake said she enjoyed going to the library with her last week. It’s something… I hope they can become friends.”

Blake stood on uneasy legs and ran back up the stairs. She glanced across the hallway at Adam’s bedroom door. He was Blake’s closest friend. He had lived with her and her family since Blake was in kindergarten. Why had her mom been scared for her? Scared of Adam?

\---------

The Rose-Xiao Long family arrived late in the evening as the sun began to set. Blake figured out that Yang definitely had her father’s looks, while her little sister did not. However, it was evident that both sisters shared their big happy smiles with Tai Yang. Blake had a bad feeling about her mother, and the questions she was most likely going to be asking Yang. She seemed set on getting Blake and Yang to become friends, and while Blake didn’t disagree with getting to know Yang better, the conversation from the other morning repeated on loop through her head. She didn’t understand her mother’s concerns about Adam.

“Dinner is just about ready. So, Yang, did I hear your dad say your birthday is coming up sometime this month? What day is it?” Kali asked, eyes studying the girl closely.

“Yes ma’am, and it’s August 30th.” Yang replied politely. She sat down slowly, careful not to bunch up the yellow sundress she was wearing. Blake sat across from Yang and gave her a shy smile. Adam entered the room and placed himself to the right of Blake, staying silent throughout the entire exchange.

“Really?!” Kali sat down at the table and exclaimed, “That’s one day after Blake’s birthday! Maybe we could have a combined birthday party! It’d be a great way for Yang to get to know everyone here.”

Blake cringed at the comment, and she could have sworn her father did as well. She didn’t exactly have that many friends to invite for a birthday party.

Trying to change the subject away from that topic, Ghira asked his daughter, “What class did you say you have with Yang?”

“We have math class together. She sits by Velvet, Mr. Scarlentina’s daughter,” Blake informed her mother and father who nodded fondly at the mention of the rabbit-eared family.  
However, their attention snapped to Tai Yang who groaned into his hands and muttered, “of all the classes you two take, you guys have math class together?” He glared at Yang, who was trying her best to disappear into her seat.

“Is that a bad thing?” Ghira asked hesitantly. The Rose-Xiao Long family grimaced collectively at the question. Ruby began to speak, but her father covered her mouth with his hand to silence whatever she was trying to say.

Kali looked at her daughter, looked at the other guests at the table, then spoke, “Blake talks all the time about how funny Yang is in class. She says that she can make anyone laugh at her jokes.”

“Mom! Stop it, please,” Blake whispered, trying to quiet her mother.

“Really?” Tai Yang said, “her teacher keeps sending home notes telling me that she acts like a smart- umm… like a smart alec. I’m surprised she hasn’t scared your daughter away.”

“It’s not my fault Mr. Amin doesn’t like me! I tell him I don’t need to do my homework, because what we’re learning is easy for me. And since he said I’m not allowed to talk to anyone else in class, I just decided I’d talk to him the entire hour. I try and have conversations with him, but he always shuts me down.” She crossed her arms against her chest and turned her head away from  
her father with a slight pout.

"Well, it wouldn’t kill you to do your homework once in a while, kiddo. Also, maybe he doesn’t want to talk to a thirteen year old for fun,” Tai chided then turned to the Belladonnas, “I promise she’s not a delinquent all the time. She’s only a jerk to me and her math teacher, I swear.”

“Dad!”

“What?!”

“Well, maybe you could help out Blake sometimes,” Kali interjected, then continued in a whisper directed at Yang, “Blake gets so frustrated when we try to help her with math homework. Sometimes, she ends up crying because she can’t figure out how to get the answer.”

“Mom!”

“Alright-” Ghira interrupted with a soft smile- “I think we’ve embarrassed the kids enough for one night. Right, Kali?”

“Embarrassing? What do you mean? I would never do that to my baby kitten-”

“Stooooop, mom.”

“See, I could be way worse than I am with you guys,” Tai whispered to Yang and Ruby who both nodded their heads in agreement.

\------------

Dinner was delicious, and the two families found it easy to keep the conversation alive. Ruby proudly announced that she got nominated for the elementary school’s spelling bee, and Yang answered Kali’s many questions about the school’s volleyball team she was apart of, then told them the story about how she knocked herself out during the last game she played at Patch middle school (“When in doubt, do not use your head to receive a spike!”)

“Well, the part about the concussion and seven staples in the head isn’t the best, but Blake, I think you should try out for the team next year!” Kali exclaimed as she brought dessert out for everyone.

Blake kept her gaze down as everyone stared at her. “Oh, I don’t know about that. I’m not really into sports. And the concussion part doesn’t sound…very fun.”

“You’d be just fine. My daughter likes to play sports the most dangerous way possible I’ve come to realize. Plus, the volleyball incident was only half as bad as the basketball game tragedy,” Tai said and shivered at the memory.

“Yang ran into the wall and broke all of her bones!” Ruby yelled.

“No, Rubes. It wasn’t all of my bones. I only broke nine, remember?” Yang reminded her sister and ruffled her hair.

Blake laughed at that, then stated, “I guess I wouldn’t have to worry about getting hurt if that’s Yang’s job for the team.”

Yang brightened at the mention of her name and said, “If you need someone to break all of their own bones, I’m just the girl for the job-” Tai groaned - “but, if you're really interested, I could ask the coach to see if you can start coming to our practices. You can get some experience before next year’s season starts.”

Blake’s ears twitched happily because of the girl in front of her. Trying out for a school sport? That thought had never crossed her mind until now. But, Yang made it seem like it could be fun! Maybe they could go to practice together and-

“I think Blake would enjoy the archery club more than anything else.” Everyone was startled to find that Adam had been the one to speak. He had hardly said anything at all throughout the night.

\---------

Yang remembers this part of the night more clearly than the rest. As soon as Adam spoke, her life would forever change. She told Blake that before. That she had felt something cruel in Adam’s gaze that night sitting at the dinner table. She had a feeling that the boy sitting next to Blake didn’t care for her one bit.

\---------

“I think Blake would enjoy the archery club more than anything else,” he said and spoke again right after. “I’ve been practicing with her, and I think she’s probably better than I am at this point,” he said slowly, adorning a small smile.

“Really?” Ghira asked, “I loved archery when I was younger, Blake! Maybe you can start looking into that. Adam’s team captain, so I’m sure he’d be happy to introduce you to the others.”

The conversation continued, Ruby asked Blake if they could play William Tell in the front yard, but Yang struggled to focus on their voices. Everytime she glanced to the right of Blake, she met Adam’s icy blue eyes fixated on her while wearing a strange expression. Almost like he was mocking her, like he thought he had won some kind of game Yang didn’t even realize they were playing. His confidence increased tenfold after bringing up Blake’s knack for shooting, and Ghira was set on trying to get him to talk about the things he liked to do for fun. He was almost desperate to get the boy to share his life with everyone. As if the man wasn’t sure himself what Adam enjoyed to do.

Her fists tightened as the boy started speaking directly to Ruby. A deep feeling of protectiveness washed over her body as she watched the two discuss something. Adam spoke about his new pet he had gotten for his birthday, which Yang failed to catch what kind of animal he had received because of the jumbled thoughts racing through her head. She was too distracted. Distracted by Adam’s odd behavior, distracted by the intense feeling to pull Ruby into her arms to hold her close, and distracted by the strange, melancholic look Blake’s mother held in her eyes.

No mother would ever look at someone they consider their child like that if there wasn’t something wrong. Yang thought to herself. She decided right then and there that Adam Tauras was not somebody that she could trust.

\---------------

“So you’ll show me?” Ruby asked Adam after the table had been cleared.

He turned to Ghira and asked politely, “May I? I’ll keep him in its container.”

Ghira smiled and exclaimed, “of course! Bring him down, and we can all get a good look at ‘em. I found this guy in my truck one afternoon. Let’s just say, I may have been a little startled.”

Blake felt the weight of the couch dip beside her and turned her head to meet Yang’s gaze. “What does he mean by startled?” Yang asked, turning her head in Blake’s direction.

“Well, wouldn’t you be startled if you found Shroud next to your leg?” She asked playfully.

Yang gave an awkward laugh and scratched the back of her head. “I may have missed the part about what kind of animal we’re talking about here. What exactly is Shroud?”

“You didn’t hear what kind of animal Shroud is?” She asked, unaware that Yang’s thought earlier made it difficult to listen to what had been said.

She blushed, then replied in a small voice, “well, I don’t have an extra pair of ears on my head like you. Stupid faulty human hearing I guess.”

Blake smiled at that and answered, “a tarantula. He’s not full grown yet. Whenever Shroud becomes an adult, he’ll nearly be the size of a baseball mitt.”

“A spider?” Blake looked at Yang and could watch her face pale into a ghostly white.

“Yes? Is that bad?” Tai laughed and threw an arm around his daughter.

“Oh, you have no idea. This girl screams like a little baby whenever she sees a spider. She could beat up anyone of those boys at school, but you put a spider anywhere near her-”

“I can’t help it! They’re just so-so horrible, and I don’t know why,” Yang retorted and gripped the couch until her knuckles turned white. Her father and sister were always terrible about teasing her about this fear. It was embarrassing, and Yang hated being mocked; hated appearing weak. She could feel Mrs. Belladonna’s stare on her, and she didn’t want to meet the sympathetic expression she knew was present.

“Yang’s scared of spiders, Yang’s scared of spiders!” Ruby sang, skipping around in circles throughout the living room, “Yang’s scared of spiders-”

“Scared of spiders?” Adam asked as he descended down the stairs. He held a glass container, and Yang could see the big, dark blob at the bottom. “How could anyone be scared of spiders?”  
She gulped and backed further into the couch. He smiled. Her fear brought him amusement, and Yang suddenly wanted to run back home. He was going to enjoy this, she realized. Not like how her sister and father do, though. It was something much more sinister.

Blake looked at Yang and said trying to soothe her, “it’s okay, you can just look from a distance. It won’t hurt you.” Her voice had been incredibly soft, which surprised both girls, but relieved Yang’s worries slightly.

“Here. Take a look.” Ruby ran over to the container and squealed at the animal.

“Can I hold it please, please, please?” She turned to the adults and waited for a response.

Ghira scratched his chin, then decided, “alright, you can hold him, but you have to stay right there, okay? Adam, make sure she doesn’t run off with him. We wouldn’t want to lose Shroud in the house.”

You mean you wouldn’t want her to run and chase me throughout your home with it. Yang thought to herself. Terrified of her own baby sister, currently. All because of some spider and a boy with freezing cold eyes.

Adam carefully took the spider out of its container and held it up for Ruby to see. She smiled and reached out to hold it in her own hands. Yang watched without breathing. Her heart hammered in her chest as she witnessed the awful creature squirm in Ruby’s closed grip. She let out a stuttered breath and glanced at the girl beside her. Blake gave her a reassuring smile and shyly covered her own hand over Yang’s. They stared at each other for a few beats, something they realized wasn’t quite normal to do with acquaintances. They just weren’t quite old enough to understand what it meant yet; nevertheless, Yang knew she wanted to be Blake’s friend, and Blake felt the same.

“Blake! How about you show Yang to your room? We’ll let Ruby play with Shroud down here,” Blake’s mom said almost urgently. Her eyes shot to Adam, and she leveled him a hard stare. Had Yang missed something? She may have been too distracted by Blake’s eyes to notice what had just occured between her sister and Adam.

“Okay,” Blake said and began to lead Yang up the stairs into her bedroom.

\------------

“So, this is my room. I don’t really have a lot of stuff in here. It's mostly books, which aren’t super interesting.” Blake picked up a stuffed animal from her bed and threw it out of sight. She had not put that there earlier in the day. She had a sneaking suspicion that Kali Belladonna had something to do with its presence.

Yang, she noticed, hadn't said anything since she entered the room. Blake was about to say something, until Yang shot toward her book shelf. She yanked a book from it and spun around to meet Blake’s questioning gaze.

“You read this book too?! Yang exclaimed with a large smile.

Blake squinted to read the title printed across the worn cover and felt her face heat up when she realized which book Yang selected. The Queen Bee, a fairytale Blake had loved dearly as a child and still did to this day. She would read it by herself occasionally but never liked to admit it to others. It was meant for children, afterall. However, all of her worries dissipated as Yang’s face was so… hopeful looking.

“Yeah, it’s one of my absolute favorites. My father would read it to me every night when I was little. I still read it sometimes, which I know is kinda weird since it’s a children’s tale and everything.” She walked beside Yang and peered down at the little old book.

“That’s not weird at all! I love this story!”

“Really?!”

“Yeah! When Ruby and I were really little, our uncle took us to a bookstore and told us we could pick out anything we wanted. I picked out a book with a dragon on the cover, but it ended up being some dumb romance story-” Blake giggled as Yang stuck out her tongue when describing the book she chose- “I threw that book into my closet and never looked at it again. Ruby on the other hand, picked The Queen Bee. She asked our uncle to read it to her, but he gets… distracted easily.”

Blake nods in sympathy. She’d heard her father mention that the traveling sailor who occasionally stopped in Kuo Kauana from time to time had a serious problem staying sober. “Yeah, he doesn’t seem like the type to sit down and read a book. Or sit down and stay still at all for that matter.”

Yang snorted at Blake’s comment and gazed down at the book in her hands, “that’s one-hundred percent accurate. Anyway, Ruby started to get upset because she wasn’t old enough to read that well, so I told her I’d read it to her-” she paused and lifted up the cover- “I never expected to get so into the story, but by the time it ended, I loved it even more than Ruby. I think- I think the message of the story is what I love the most. That everyone deserves to be treated with kindness in life. That we shouldn’t be discouraged when… other people hurt us. It helped me get through some stuff when I was younger, I guess. I lost the copy a few years back, and I was honestly pretty heartbroken about it.”

Blake found herself unable to do anything else than to stare at the girl next to her while wearing an awestruck expression. None of the people Blake had ever hung around had talked about a book the way Yang just did. Most kids made fun of her for being so engrossed in literature, and she would receive more ridicule if it weren’t for the fact that she was the sheriff’s daughter. On the other hand, the ones at school who did enjoy reading always tried to compete with Blake. Trying to see who was reading the most complex story, or who was reading the largest novel.  
When Yang talked, it was like she was telling her own story from her life. Like she was allowing Blake to relive past memories with her. She couldn’t help feeling giddy at realizing that someone had gotten so happy about an important part in Blake’s life. It left her speechless.

Yang, apparently in a trance of her own, continued to stroke the cover for a moment. Realizing she wasn’t alone, her eyes snapped open to meet Blake’s. Her cheeks turned pink, and she coughed into her hand.

“Sorry, that was probably really weird, wasn’t it? I just… haven’t met anyone who's read this story, and I think I got a little too excited. I do this a lot. Whenever I get happy, or like really into something, I keep talking, and I end up sharing way too much information and-”

“Yang?”

“Yes?”

“Do you want to read some of it with me before you have to go home?” Blake asked with an amused smile.

Yang crossed her arms across her chest, and she responded in an uncharacteristically shy manner, “yeah, I would really like that.”

The two stood facing each other for a few seconds, both smiling and reveling in the fact that they had just become friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Leave comments down below if you liked it or just have something to say! See ya later!


	3. The Life of The Party

“Happy birthday, Blake! Happy birthday, Yang!” Sun Wukong’s voice was loud and clear over the phone. “I’ll be at your parents house in a couple of hours! See you guys there!”

“Thanks, Sun.” They replied, then placed the phone back on its receiver. Both women lay in bed, not wanting to get up and prepare for their day.

“You know, having our birthdays one day apart has really been convenient,” Blake said and pressed her front up against Yang’s bareback, loving the intimacy of skin-to-skin contact.

Sleepily, Yang responded, “yeah, I’ve never had to worry about forgetting your birthday- Ouch! Hands above the belt, Ms. Belladonna!”

“Mrs. Belladonna.” Blake reminded Yang and kissed her shoulder.

Yang turned, so she could face her fiance and then pecked her on the lips. “Not yet, baby. You still got a few months until you aren't a hot bachelorette.”

“I hate that term! It makes me sound like I’m unfaithful or something.” She whined and tried to hide her smile in Yang’s hair. She felt a had brush against her thigh, and it began to creep toward a less innocent target. “We don’t have time for that, Yang. Mom said she wants us there at ten, and it’s almost nine.”

“I can be quick,” she responded playfully. Blake’s skin flushed, and she groaned as the wandering hand squeezed her inner thigh.

“Maybe, but you aren’t quick at getting ready.” She thought about standing but stopped when she saw her fiance’s mischievous smile. “Ugh, fine. You win, but you better make it fast. I mean it.”

“Aye Aye Captain!”

“When you say that, it ruins the mood!”

She was cut off with a firm kiss and couldn’t help but smile against the blonde’s lips. It was tradition to celebrate their birthday on the same day together. It’s ironic that they celebrate on the 29th, Blake’s actual birthday, because this day was always full of friends, laughter, and liveliness; traits Blake associated with Yang, not herself. The day after, Yang’s actual birthday, was always spent quietly, since everyone would be exhausted from the day prior. They had been doing it for almost ten years now.

 _Ten years?_ The first celebration felt as though it was only the other day to Blake, but it also felt like a lifetime ago.

\-----------------

14 Years Old

“Mom?” Blake called, and her mother greeted her from the couch, eyes focused on a magazine.

Hopefully, she wouldn’t look up and see Yang there with her. It’s not that she was trying to sneak Yang inside her home, she just didn’t want her mother embarrassing her in front of her friend.

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Blake spoke quietly, “I saw dad on the way home, and he said that Yang could stay over tonight and help set up for the party tomorrow morning.”  
Grabbing Yang’s arm, Blake tried to hurry upstairs. However, she was too late.

“Yang! Hello, dear! Ghira should’ve told me that you were coming over tonight. Come on, let’s go into the kitchen so I can fix up some snacks for you two!” Blake sighed and let go of Yang’s arm. They almost made it.

Kali bounded into the kitchen and started to prepare some food. By the time the girls entered the dining room, the woman had laid out some sliced up fruit on a platter, and they smelled something baking. Yang stared at Blake with wide eyes. How did she do f that so fast? Is what incredulous stare asked, but Blake didn’t have an answer for her mother’s madness.

“The cookies are almost done, just a few more minutes.” Blake sat down at the table, and Yang placed herself right next to her.

“Thank you, Mrs. Belladonna.”

“Thanks, mom.”

“There’s no need for that, you two. So…are we excited for tomorrow?” Kali sat down in front of the pair.

“Yeah! Everyone we invited from school said they’re coming, right Blake?” Yang asked, oblivious to the fact that the children had agreed to the invite because of herself, not Blake. It was kind of sad that the party was meant to benefit Yang so she could meet new people, but her peers weren’t coming to see Blake. But, that didn’t matter. Yang didn’t pay much attention to anyone else other than Blake at school. Blake was Yang’s best friend, and that information made her feel a strong warmth inside her chest.

“Everyone seems to be looking forward to it,” Blake responded, which made her mother squeal.

“You two are going to have so much fun! I’ll make a cake tonight, we’ll open presents out on the patio, the pool’s open for everyone to swim, and-” the sound of the oven timer stopped the woman mid sentence.

“Oh, I’ll go get those.” She stood up from her seat and walked behind the two girls sitting. Her hand squeezed one of Blake’s shoulders. “Blake, can you help me for a moment?”

Blake raised an eyebrow at the strange request, but complied. She stood beside the older woman next to the oven and opened her mouth to speak, but she was interrupted.

“I’m sorry I called you in here, honey. I just wanted to say, I’m so proud of you for agreeing to do all of this.” She wrapped Blake into her arms. “You just have never wanted to do anything like this, and I’m happy that you’re looking forward to tomorrow. Maybe… you’ll make even more friends, or at least get to know some of the people you go to school with.”

Blake nodded her head and hugged her mother back as tight as she could. She hated that her mom worried about her, so she was happy her concerns seemed to be soothed by the fact that Blake was looking forward to the party. And, perhaps her mother was right; she could try to get to know the others from school. Spending time with Yang had paid off so far in many ways, and she wasn’t replacing Adam, even if there were other people besides him involved in her life now.

“You have to promise to not embarrass me constantly, though,” Blake told her.

Kali replied, “I don’t know if that’s possible, honey. Now, let’s get these cookies out of the oven.” She bent down to open up the oven door, while Blake went to grab a plate. “So, you and Yang seem like you’ve become good friends.”

Blake sighed at her mother’s inquisitive tone. “Yeah, we’ve been spending a lot of time together lately at school. I- I like being around her.”

“That’s great, Blake. I mean it. She seems like such a nice girl, and she treats you as an equal.”

Blake’s ears flattened at that remark. “Do you say that because she’s a human? Like you expected her not to treat me equally?”

Her mother threw her hands up and quickly explained, “no! It doesn’t matter if she’s a human or a faunus! I just meant… even though she’s your friend, she doesn’t get to control you, Blake. The decisions you make in life are your own, and I want you to always remember that.”

The older woman’s eyes told Blake that they weren’t talking about Yang anymore. What did her mother see in Adam that Blake couldn’t? Was she too naive to sense the darker side he possessed, or was her mother simply being overprotective of her only daughter? She wasn’t sure of the answer.

“We should go back to the table. Yang gets crabby when she’s hungry,” Blake weakly joked.

Kali laughed and gazed at Blake lovingly. “Okay.”

As they returned, both faunus chuckled at Yang’s expression she had toward the freshly baked cookies. As soon as the plate was placed onto the table, Yang’s arm snatched out to grab at the cookies. Realizing her overeagerness, Yang stopped and rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment.

“Oh, sorry Mrs. Belladonna. Thank you for the cookies. They look really good.” She smiled at the woman, then looked back down at her plate.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s nice having someone appreciate my cooking. I can hardly get Blake to talk about anything that doesn’t involve one of her books.” Blake’s cold stare did not affect her.

“Well, these are some of the best cookies I’ve ever had! If my sister was here, that whole plate would be empty.” She finished the first one, then picked up a second.

Blake envisioned Yang’s hyperactive sister shooving handfuls of cookies into her mouth. “Does she really like sweets?” She asked.

“You have no idea! That girl loves anything with sugar in it. For the longest time, all I could get her to eat were my chocolate chip cookies.”

“You bake?” Blake asked slightly surprised. She couldn’t imagine Yang having enough patience to wait around a kitchen wearing oven mitts.

“Occasionally. If I have time, or if Ruby harasses me enough for cookies,” she thought for a moment, then continued, “I like baking a whole lot better than cooking, but I think I can cook better than bake.”

“Blake used to help me prepare dinner, but we’ve soon figured out it’s for everyone’s best if she stays away from the kitchen. She somehow made soup taste burnt! How in the world do you do that?” Kali explained, while Blake started rambling in her defense. (It had been the stove’s fault, not her own).

“Ha! That’s okay, Blake. I was bad too when I first started to cook. Here, look at this.” Yang lifted her hand up with her palm facing the mother and daughter. She pointed to a long scar that ran horizontally across the skin. “I got this scar the first time I tried to cut up a vegetable. It was a cucumber of all things! I thought it would heal on its own, but I eventually had to get it stitched up.”

Blake stared at the long scar. “That must have hurt. When did that happen?”

Yang’s eyes darted around the room, and she pulled her arm back toward her body. She chuckled and answered, “Eh, I don’t know. Maybe seven? It was… stupid to try and learn how to cook by myself.”

“Seven?” Kali asked. Her eyes didn’t leave Yang’s form. “That’s awfully young to want to start cooking like that.” Concern flooded into her amber eyes, but Yang tried her best to deflect the woman’s worries.

“Oh, yeah. I was a wild little kid. I was always getting hurt from my stubbornness. Really, it wasn’t that big of a deal.” She was looking anywhere besides the two individuals at the table.

Sensing the tension, Blake tried joking, “I’d say you’re still pretty stubborn. You told Mr. Amin that you could speak Menagerie’s native language, then checked out seven different books from the library, because you think you can learn it by Christmas.”

That got Yang laughing, and she began to go over the details of her “master plan”. Blake found herself overcome with laughter and fell into a playful banter with Yang.  
Believing the tension from moments ago faded, Blake glanced to see what expression her mother held. She didn’t expect the woman’s face to appear so somber. Blake knew that something happened to Yang’s family, but she didn’t want to push. Maybe her mom knew more than she did?

Eventually, Kali found her vigor and joined in on the girls’ teasing (and embarrassing Blake every moment she had the chance to).

“Come on, Blake! You can’t just tell me you can hold your breath underwater for two minutes and not go outside to swim!” Yang complained.

“Fine, we can go swimming if it means you’ll stop being a huge baby.” Blake grinned, then started running toward her room. “But that means you have to put my plates into the sink!” Yang gasped and then groaned in defeat.

Blake stopped and tilted her ears toward the dining room as she stood at the bottom of her stairwell, waiting to hear Yang’s footsteps chasing her. Except, they never came. Curious as to what was happening, she approached the entryway and heard her mother whispering something to her friend. Peeking behind the wall, Blake witnessed Kali pulling Yang into a light embrace. Her friend’s hand shot up to her face, trying to discreetly wipe her eyes.

“If you ever need anything, just ask us, sweetie. You don’t have to be the one responsible for everything in your life. You shouldn’t have to be.” The two figures maintained their position for a few more seconds, until Yang parted and gave a shy smile.

“Thank you, Ma’am, but things are a whole lot better now than they were, I promise. You don’t have to worry about me.” She said, but Kali’s concerned features didn’t change.

Again, Blake felt lost in a sea of questions without any answers. Everyone in her life knew things that she wasn’t aware of. She didn’t blame Yang for not discussing whatever had been troubling her and her family, but she wanted to know. She desperately wanted to be able to comfort Yang if she ever felt down. She wanted to make Yang aware that she had people that cared for her, just like Yang had done for Blake.

Blake shook her head and began looking through her drawers for a swimsuit. She’d have to ask Yang someday.

\--------------------

The sheer number of children who showed up to the Belladonna’s house was almost overwhelming. Nearly every child arrived early, and soon there were dozens of kids running around the backyard, with the rest splashing and playing in their large swimming pool. To everyone’s surprise, Blake had participated in most of the games and even spoke to many of the guests throughout the party. She stood in the pool and watched Sun try and walk with Yang sitting atop of his shoulders. It was an amusing sight, since Sun hadn’t hit his growth spurt yet, and Yang had nearly half a foot on the boy. Everybody erupted into laughter as the two blondes screamed, before they both became submerged under water.

Sun’s head broke the surface first, and he said out of breath, “yes! Thirty seconds! That’s a new record. This time, you stand on my shoulders, and we’ll be taller than Blake’s dad!”

“Maybe you should stand on my shoulders, Sun?” Yang asked, worried that his idea would give someone a broken neck.

“Don’t worry! I’m super buff. It won’t even be hard.” He flexed his undeveloped arm muscles, which caused the entire pool to laugh.

“I don’t see any muscles there, sunny boy.” A cat faunus said, then used her pink tail to splash water onto his face.

“Ugh, Neon! Come here!” A brawl broke out, with Sun attempting to dunk Neon underwater, then Yang grabbing Sun and putting him into a headlock. The other children followed suit, and the entire swimming pool became a battle field. Blake decided she didn’t want to be caught in the midst of the fighting and exited the pool.

The sun was starting to lower in the sky, and Blake felt sad that the day was coming to an end. It had been one of the best birthdays she’d ever had and didn’t want the euphoric feeling to stop.  
She made her way over to the table that had once been full of food, but now only scraps remained. Deciding there was nothing on the table that Blake wanted, she glanced around the backyard. Over by a large oak tree, she spotted Velvet and Ilia sitting together and talking. Velvet smiled and began waving when she saw her staring.

“Hey, Blake! You should come over here with us!” Ilia gave a shy smile, and she tried to stop her skin from shifting pink.

She walked over to the two girls and sat down, wishing she wasn’t still wearing her damp swimsuit. “Hi.”

“This is the best party ever, Blake!” Velvet exclaimed. Ilia nodded her head in agreement.

“Oh, thanks. That’s mostly from my mom and dad, though. They pretty much set everything up.” Blake avoided their gaze, trying to avoid the compliment.

“It’s not just that. Everything’s been so much fun! My mom and dad never let me hang out with kids they didn’t know, so I haven’t ever been to a party like this!” Velvet said.

“Well, you can thank Yang for that. I don’t think even half of the people would be here if she wasn’t involved.”

Ilia placed a hand on Blake’s shoulder and spoke softly, “I still would have come.”

“Yeah me too! You’re like one of the funniest people I know!” Velvet said, causing Blake’s eyes to widen in surprise.

“I’m one of the funniest people you know? Are you sure Neon didn’t hold you underwater for too long? You may have lost some brain cells.” Blake cringed as soon as she said that. It was probably too sarcastic and came off as-

“See! That’s what I mean! You’ve been making little jokes like that the whole day! They’re funny!” Velvet said while giggling along with Ilia.

“Also, it was really funny when you shoved Yang into the pool.” Ilia grinned when Blake’s expression soured.

“I didn’t push her! She acted like I did so she could use it against me! She just wanted to be the first one to eat cake!”

“Sure, Blake. Sure.”

\---------------------

Eventually, parents began to pull into the driveway to pick up their children. The sun had completely set, and Ghira made a small bonfire for Blake and the last guests to sit around. Yang, seated beside Blake in a lawn chair, yawned and stretched tiredly. She now wore an oversized, orange tee shirt and blue jean shorts over her swimsuit. The fire made her hair sparkle, and her fair skin glowed faintly from the flames. Blake searched for the lilac of Yang’s eyes, wondering if they would ignite in the presence of fire, but Yang’s eyes were closed as she sat comfortably in the chair. Blake wanted to know if she looked like that. If she looked as radiant as Yang did in moments like these.

“Yang! What are you doing, dude! You can’t sleep!” Sun broke Blake out of her spell. He threw an empty can of soda and hit Yang in the head.

“Ow! What the heck, man! I wasn’t sleeping. I was resting my eyes because they’re tired.” Yang picked up the soda can and pretended to throw it at Sun. He gasped and covered his head, preparing for an attack that never came.

“How can your eyes be tired when it’s only nine o’clock?” Ilia accused jokingly.

“Well, maybe because I’ve had to look at Sun’s ugly face the whole day, and my eyes are crying out for help.”

“I’ll get you, Xiao Long!” Sun shot up from his seat and bounded toward Yang with a piece of cake in his hand.

“Ahh! Velvet! Backup! Backup!” The rabbit faunus looked at the other girls for assistance. Blake shook her head, and Ilia mouthed “don’t help her”

The three watched Yang and Sun run in circles around the yard. Eventually, Yang threw herself back in her chair and exclaimed that she was too tired to keep running. Sun approached Yang and rubbed icing onto her face.

“Victory for the boys!” Sun yelled, but yelped right after. “Guys, no! Stop!”

“Pick up his arms, Ilia,” Blake commanded as she held onto Sun’s legs. Ilia did what she was told, and the two girls began to carry the boy toward the water. Yang and Velvet laughed as they heard a big splash.

“Blake.” Everyone’s eyes snapped at the new voice. Adam stood in the doorway of the patio with an even expression. Blake didn’t realize that she’d hardly seen him during the party. He’d stayed in his room the entire time Yang was over last night, and he disappeared early on in the day. How did she not even think about his absence?

“Yang’s father said it was time for her to leave.” His eyes focused solely on Yang’s as he spoke. It was… strange the way Adam looked at her friend. He didn’t seem to like her.

“How couldn’t he like Yang?” She thought to herself, sad to hear Yang’s father’s voice coming closer to the group.

He had been at the party for most of the day, arriving in the afternoon with Ruby and Yang’s uncle with him. To Qrow’s credit, he came sober and told all of the kids stories about his adventures out in the ocean. Ruby, however, had been hard to contain, and Tai Yang spent most of his time inside the house with her; trying to let Yang have some space with her friends.

“I think it’s time we go home. Your sister’s passed out on the couch, and you’ve got to be getting tired… I like the frosting on the nose look, though.” He laughed and picked up Yang’s bag that was discarded on the patio.

“Ugh, Sun!” She furiously wiped at her face. “I have a bag still in Blake’s room, and the presents I got are on that table over there.”

“Well, go grab your bag, and I’ll start loading the truck.” Ghira volunteered to give Tai a hand, which he gladly accepted.

“I’ll get your bag with you,” Blake offered. She wanted to be with Yang for just a little longer.

Yang smiled and started to reply, but Adam cut her off mid-sentence, “Blake, your mom brought out some stuff to make smores. If you stay down here with us, we can make one for Yang to eat on her way home.”

Blake thought about his proposition, then found her gaze focusing on her mother who was watching their interaction from the back. Her eyes were pleading with Blake to make the right choice. She remembered her mom’s words from earlier in the day.

_“The decisions you make in life are your own”_

“Umm… Velvet? Could you make one for Yang? I want to go up there with her and make sure she gets everything.” Velvet agreed and slid a second marshmallow onto the stick she was using.

“Come on, Yang. I’ll make sure you don’t fall down the stairs. You can hardly keep your eyes open, you baby,” she teased.

“You’re mean to me all of the time.” Yang’s form was slouched, and she let Blake take her arm to guide her inside the house.

She spoke to Yang as they walked inside, “I can be mean to you, it’s my birthday, remember?”

“Hey, you can’t use that excuse! We both celebrated our birthday today!” Yang argued, but her words were slurred.

“Yeah, but it’s actually my birthday today. Your’s is tomorrow, which also means I’m older than you.”

“By a day! One day, Belladonna! You’re so rude!”

“Sounds like something a baby would say.”

\--------------------------------

Tai Yang ended up having to go into Blake’s room to remove his daughter. They’d gotten distracted and started to watch a movie, and Yang fell asleep sprawled out on Blake’s bed. Her legs were thrown over Blake’s stomach, and Blake didn’t have the heart to move them. Yang was so peaceful when she slept, her features soft and content. It was very intimate but in the sweetest way possible. Trusting someone enough to allow them to lay so close to her in bed and having that trust reciprocated, because Yang let herself show vulnerability to Blake.  
Blake had never entertained the idea of dating someone, and she didn’t feel ready to do so anytime soon, but she couldn’t deny that Yang’s company made her feel something she’d never experienced before. The warmth Yang gave her made her ecstatic.

Before Tai Yang came in and scooped his daughter up into his arms to carry her out to his truck, Blake placed a hand softly onto one of Yang’s calves and whispered to her sleeping friend.  
“Thank you, Yang.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The bees are cute, Sun is a good boy, Blake is bi. That is all.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed! I already have a lot written for this story, and there's actually going to be somewhat of a plot! nothing too heavy, though! Leave a comment below if you want to say anything! (:


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